I had to ask..

[Angiebabe64]

I am really hoping someone can clue me in to what might be going on with me. I have had this same siutation reaccur on a average of every 4 months for close to the last 2 years. What happens is I start getting chills, body aches, fever ( that has gotten as high as 104) and I am totally dibilitatied for the next 24 hours. During this 24 hour period I will run fever most of it, have no appetite, sleep the vast majority of it for usually about 3 hours at a time, then wake for maybe an hour or so and back asleep. I pee about every 3 hours also. After the fever breaks and a few hours later I am tired but better. The next day I am almost good as new but usually find that I have a fever in the lower part of my left leg and my right leg is usually much smaller then it normally is. It is almost like my right leg drains into my left.

I have primary LE in both legs prinmaily from the knees down and I wear compression stockings. My left leg will have fever in it for about 2 days after that and then that limb just is more swollen then normal for a couple of weeks. Other than that I usually feel great. I have had primary LE for the last 6 years but this only started within the last 2years. Only thing that has really changed in my life in the last 2 years is that I quit smoking cold turkey. I really have not gained or lost any weight and life has been pretty "normal", as normal as it can be dealing with LE that is anyways..lol.. Was just hoping to see if anyone had any ideas or experienced anything similar. Your ideas and thoughts are appreciated.

[patoco]

Hi Ya Angie

Wow, what you describe sounds totally identical to a body's response to infection or cellulitis.

Have you ever taken antibiotics when this happened? Or discussed what occurs with you doc?

One thing to remember is that infections don't always present in the same way.

Cellulitis, which is a deeper cellular infection will actually present different then what is called erysipelas, which effects more "shallow" layers of the skin.

I used to always get these raging attacked of cellulitis where the leg was like red neon..temp into the stratosphere. Then one time I just just this profound red line that suddenly ran from the knee up and into the ab. OMG...that freaked the doctor out the most.

Another thought too is that it seems, that many many lymphers are also having to deal with autoimmune disorders; different inflammations. Has the doctor ever done a complete (and I mean complete) blood work on you? That could reveal any undetected condition.

Just a couple thoughts...

Best to You

Pat

[joanne johnson]

Hi Angie,
I also have lymph from the knees down. What you are experiencing is a typical cellulitis infection. When I get an infection I lose a whole day. I just want to be left alone and sleep. The following day I barely have a recollection of the day before. Sometimes I get a deep indentation which may last for weeks.

I always have antibiotics on hand to take ASAP and get off my feet. I went to an infectious disease doctor and he put me on a daily dose of 1000mg. of Pen VK antibiotics and it has really helped me alot. See if your doctor will give you antibiotics to have on hand. Good luck. I feel your pain!

[Angiebabe64]

Thank you both for the information. I knew I had some kind of infection and I knew it stemmed from my legs but I was always looking for an open wound and a scratch, anything that would explain why I was having the fever. I never thought of anything underneath my skin and something that was not visable. I had gotten some antibotics from my doctor in the past and that would help it. What I could not understand is why it comes back every 4 or 5 months and just hits me like a ton of bricks out of nowhere. That was the part that was driving me nuts. I actully went into the hospital back in January of this year looking for some answers. The best they could come up with was an infection in my blood. After reading up some on cellulitis, I saw that was one of the prognosis. At least now I have some clues, ideas and information as to what is happening to me. I cannot say thanks enough !!